Bijeljina Wastewater System Project Phase 2

Bijeljina Wastewater System Project Phase 2

Project Description

Bijeljina is the second largest city and municipality in Republika Srpska (RS), located in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Due to the environmental and health hazards, the current wastewater system in Bijeljina is not in accordance with either EU directives for urban wastewater and sludge or relevant local regulations. Two WBIF grants support the project, both related to phases II and III of the overall project, aiming to expand the sewage collection network and construct a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Bijeljina. One grant provides co-finance investment capital, under the Municipal Windows facility, and the other technical assistance.

Construction of the sewerage system together with work on the water supply network were implemented in phase I, which was completed in 2010. Phase II focuses on the construction of the system for collecting and purifying waste water in the municipality as well as expanding the network supplying drinking water. Phase III of the waste water system development covers the construction of the main sewage collector to the proposed wastewater treatment plant. WBIF technical assistance included: procurement services for the construction of three main collector lines with the tributaries of a water network; the WWTP and, procurement services for the supervision of the construction of the WWTP. In addition, sustainability studies and capacity building programmes were carried out. Contracts for the construction of the water network and one of the two sewage collectors were completed. The initial WWTP construction contract was terminated and the project was assigned in August 2013 to a new contractor; works are still ongoing. The supervision contract for all the above activities was also awarded and is ongoing.

The main project beneficiary is Bijeljina municipality and the municipal Water and Wastewater Company. The project will also benefit 400,000 inhabitants of Bijeljina which will be directly connected to the sewerage system after the completion of Phase II and 85,000 inhabitants connected to the water supply system. The project will make a positive contribution to public health and decrease waterborne diseases as well as have a positive impact on the environment. With regard to the reduction of pollution of underground water and river water in the Drina-Danica channel and river Sava, it will have a positive regional and cross-border impact. The project also has institutional benefits, including the enhanced service quality of the water and wastewater company following the establishment of an environmental management system and increased capacity among staff as a result of the capacity building programs and study tours. Moreover, the project satisfies the requirements of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive and Sludge Directive of EC and therefore is an important milestone among the high-cost investments in the environment sector during the EC accession process.

 

Partner Financial Organisations

Western Balkans Partners